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Top 5 Leaning Towers in the World
Our world has seen many bemusing and fascinating architectural jewels from ancient times to modern. Sometimes, errors may result beatific architecture. Leaning towers fall into this category. However, Improper foundations, earthquakes, peccable designs may also yield them. Usually, when we think of leaning towers, leaning tower of Pisa immediately strike our mind. However, there are many leaning towers in the world some of them more inclined than Pisa tower. Italy is a myriad of leaning towers while Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States also are hubs for such. Most of them are unintentional while some of them like Capital Gate in Abu Dhabhi (UAE) are beveled wittingly. Here is the most intriguing list of leaning towers :
1. Suurhusen Church Tower, Germany:
With highest inclination, this medieval church tower holds a Guinness record of 5.19 degrees to the right (when seen from entrance). crossing leaning tower of Pisa by 1.23 degrees. This age-old brick steeple is built somewhere in 15th century B.C. (c.1450) in the marshy lands of Eastern Frisia with stubby oak log foundation. Later, when water was drained. the wood dilapidated resulting in such large tilt.
2. Bad Frankenhausen Church Tower, Germany:
This tower is Germany's and also world's second most inclined one with an unusual tilt of 4.8 degrees (its height is 57 meters). An underground spring that flows under its foundation made this tower to reach its tipping end. In recent years, this tower is facing extreme instabilities and efforts to repair it had resulted a failure. Though experts say that this ancient tower would collapse in a decade, the local residents are reluctant to vacate (their houses are as near as 23 meters from its base).
3. Two Towers of Bologna, Italy:
Built for military and defense purposes, these wooden towers of Bologna are traditional symbols of the city. It comprise two towers, Asinelli and Garisenda (1109-1119) of them Aniselli is 97 meter high and 2.23 m dropped while Garisenda is 47 meter tall and has an astounding tilt of 4 degrees. These towers won over many bombings and other warfare activities in the second world war without collapse. The latter one started to drop since 14th century ( in Dante's comedy, this tower was mentioned several times) while the first one started to slope from 20th century (predominantly).
4. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy:
Being most renowned of all leaning towers, the leaning tower of Pisa magnets over 2 million tourists per year. Not only in attracting tourists but also in inclination this free standing bell tower is in top lists (it has a height of 187 meters and is tilting 3.97 degrees). The foundation was laid on soft clay which could not bear an enormous weight of 14,400 tons resulting bevel.
Between 1990 and 2001, this tower had undergone many renovations to reduce the tilt. Despite many suggestions to straighten it, the locals are protested hardly to see it fall rather than make straight. After all, why would you call it as a leaning tower if it is straightened?
5. Tiger Hill Pagoda, China:
Su Shi, a famous Chinese poet said "If lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill". The place is eminent for its scenic beauty. It was built in c.960 as a resting place for cadaver of king He Lu of Song dynasty. The tower is 47 meters tall with a hefty tilt of 3 degrees. Cracks which were developed at its bottom base were responsible for this. This ancient belfry had undergone some repairs recently to prevent its further sloping.
While the above towers are leaned due to natural force, many towers such as Capital Gate tower and Montreal tower were tilted intentionally. Capital Gate building is currently holding Guinness record accounting for a dramatic lean of 18 degrees to the west. Any way, Isn't it astonishing that the leaning of towers which was considered a fault previously is now a style in architecture? Just ponder.
With highest inclination, this medieval church tower holds a Guinness record of 5.19 degrees to the right (when seen from entrance). crossing leaning tower of Pisa by 1.23 degrees. This age-old brick steeple is built somewhere in 15th century B.C. (c.1450) in the marshy lands of Eastern Frisia with stubby oak log foundation. Later, when water was drained. the wood dilapidated resulting in such large tilt.
This tower is Germany's and also world's second most inclined one with an unusual tilt of 4.8 degrees (its height is 57 meters). An underground spring that flows under its foundation made this tower to reach its tipping end. In recent years, this tower is facing extreme instabilities and efforts to repair it had resulted a failure. Though experts say that this ancient tower would collapse in a decade, the local residents are reluctant to vacate (their houses are as near as 23 meters from its base).
3. Two Towers of Bologna, Italy:
Built for military and defense purposes, these wooden towers of Bologna are traditional symbols of the city. It comprise two towers, Asinelli and Garisenda (1109-1119) of them Aniselli is 97 meter high and 2.23 m dropped while Garisenda is 47 meter tall and has an astounding tilt of 4 degrees. These towers won over many bombings and other warfare activities in the second world war without collapse. The latter one started to drop since 14th century ( in Dante's comedy, this tower was mentioned several times) while the first one started to slope from 20th century (predominantly).
4. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy:
Being most renowned of all leaning towers, the leaning tower of Pisa magnets over 2 million tourists per year. Not only in attracting tourists but also in inclination this free standing bell tower is in top lists (it has a height of 187 meters and is tilting 3.97 degrees). The foundation was laid on soft clay which could not bear an enormous weight of 14,400 tons resulting bevel.
Between 1990 and 2001, this tower had undergone many renovations to reduce the tilt. Despite many suggestions to straighten it, the locals are protested hardly to see it fall rather than make straight. After all, why would you call it as a leaning tower if it is straightened?
5. Tiger Hill Pagoda, China:
Su Shi, a famous Chinese poet said "If lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill". The place is eminent for its scenic beauty. It was built in c.960 as a resting place for cadaver of king He Lu of Song dynasty. The tower is 47 meters tall with a hefty tilt of 3 degrees. Cracks which were developed at its bottom base were responsible for this. This ancient belfry had undergone some repairs recently to prevent its further sloping.
While the above towers are leaned due to natural force, many towers such as Capital Gate tower and Montreal tower were tilted intentionally. Capital Gate building is currently holding Guinness record accounting for a dramatic lean of 18 degrees to the west. Any way, Isn't it astonishing that the leaning of towers which was considered a fault previously is now a style in architecture? Just ponder.
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